Positives -- Excellent size and bulk with natural athleticism, impressive first step, consistent get-off, good initial quickness, can beat linemen with his get-off and strength, could be used on stunts and twists at the next level, also has the frame to add an additional 10-12 pounds... Has added significant weight since enrolling at LSU and has the combination of strength and initial quickness to overwhelm interior offensive linemen, fights through double teams, has the potential to develop into a legitimate pass rushing presence from the interior... Does a good job disrupting the offense, creates a lot of pressure and spends a lot of time in the backfield... Has good power at the point of attack, long arms and can punch lineman back, strong hands to engage the blocker and deliver a jolt, gets his arms up to affect passing windows when he can't get to the quarterback... Very good run stuffer even at 6'6”, will push the pocket backwards and restrict running lanes; stays low against the run and can maintain two gaps, has the ability to anchor against a double team, is difficult to push back, does a good job disengaging from blocks and making a play on the ball carrier... Agile with quick nimble feet, changes direction well for his size, has the athleticism to get up and down the line... Should be able to step in right away and play the run at a high level... Isn't often fooled by screens and draws, locates the ball quickly; good motor, works until the whistle, hustles to make plays in pursuit and is a reliable tackler... Offers some schematic versatility, could play 4-3 DT (3-technique) or 3-4 DE (5-technique) but would be best off early in his career as a 5-technique... Has elite potential and has more upside than any other defensive tackle in this draft class, was a key piece of one of college football's best defenses in recent memory... Capped a tremendous season with a very good game against Alabama in the national championship and could very well be the first defensive tackle taken.
Negatives -- A better run stuffer than pass rusher at this point in his career, lacks much of an arsenal of pass rush moves... Only has one year of starting experience, declared following his redshirt sophomore season so he's still a little raw at this point in his career but with his suddenness, length and power he has a lot of potential to improve as a pass rusher... Inconsistent in his hand usage and placement to get off blocks, is also prone to playing a little upright at times when rushing the passer, his height can serve as a disadvantage and shorter interior offensive linemen will have the natural leverage advantage and can get their hands into his chest... His weaknesses are all areas that will improve with NFL coaching but would be best off as part of a rotation as a develops during his rookie season. At Louisiana State -- (Official School Bio) 2011: Started all 13 games at left defensive tackle... Third on the team with 9.5 tackles for a loss... Imposed his will on the interior of the line all season... Set a career high with six total tackles, all solo, in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and added two TFLs, one forced fumble and one pass breakup... Registered his second sack of the season at Ole Miss and posted two solo stops... Paced the defense at Mississippi State with four solo tackles, a career-high 3.0 tackles for a loss and his first career sack... Recorded his first career interception on a stellar diving play against Northwestern State. 2010: Saw action in 13 games with one start... Racked up a season-best five tackles and one forced fumble that Lavar Edwards returned for a TD against Louisiana-Monroe... Made his first career start against Alabama and picked up four tackles in the win over the Crimson Tide... Credited with a QB hurry against Tennessee... Saw significant playing time against North Carolina and made two tackles, one for a loss, in his first career appearance. 2009: Redshirted as a true freshman in 2009. High School: A dominating defensive end that was considered among the top prospects in the state of Texas for the Class of 2009... A SuperPrep All-American in 2008... A four-star prospect according to Rivals.com and Scout.com... A member of the Rivals 250... Ranked as the No. 20 recruit in the state by SuperPrep... Also ranked No. 23 statewide according to Rivals.com... Enjoyed an outstanding senior season in which he led Chavez High School to the first round of the Texas Class 5A state playoffs... Earned first-team all-region and all-state honors as a senior... Established himself as one of the state's up-and-coming defenders after finishing his junior season with 59 tackles and 10 sacks in 2007... Also terrorized opponents on special teams as he recorded one blocked punt and one blocked field goal... Coached at Chavez High School by Michael Jackson.